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  1. #1
    Our new friend needs to reach 10 posts to get to the next flight level
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    A few questions!

    I've just got back to flight simming and would like to add a bit of realism for GA aircraft. However, my budget is very limited - I could never manage anything like the amazing pictures I've seen on this site! I've bought an old yoke for under a pound (well, plus twenty for shipping it across the globe from Australia, but it's going to be funny receiving the parcel saying 'Airmail' - damn right it is! ) which should do the job. The next step is a throttle quadrant, which raises a few questions:

    An 100mm slide pot is going to cost £15+, which feels extortionate. Should I stick with 60mm or will the extra 40mm be worth it? Is there any way around the problem such as a simple gearing system?

    Is there a version of desktop avaitor's model 2097 available in the uk, or at least something that performs more or less the same function? If not, can anyone suggest a way of making one?

    The final question is regarding extra monitors - do they literally double the stress on the VGA?

    Thanks in advance for all the help - it's greatly appreciated!
    Best regards to all,
    Mossy.

  2. #2
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    Re: A few questions!

    Hi.

    I use 60mm slide pots in my Cessna GA Sim, exactly the same results. You can use 10k, 50k, or 100k linear pots, they all do the same job. Ebay sells these pots for £1.50 each, I bought a load of them plus extra for spares.

    As for the joystick card use a cheap leo bodnar card, like the BU0836 or the x version to hook em' up to your sim.

    www.leobodnar.com - Sim Card.

    AND....

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/10k-Slide-POTE...pplies_ET?hash

    There you go no need for ordering overseas, you can get all your gear in the UK matey.....

    Good luck.

    Alex (the GA crazy man lol)
    GA or the Highway!

  3. Thanks mossy thanked for this post
  4. #3
    Our new friend needs to reach 10 posts to get to the next flight level
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    Re: A few questions!

    I've been working on the panel, however I have a problem with one bit - I can't work out how to do a switch that slides out to turn out, like with the carb heat or parking brake controls in the 182. Could it be done with a slide pot? How could this be configured to act as a switch rather than as an axis? I also thought about using a slide switch and attaching that to a pull lever which would work, but then the lever would only travel about 5mm which isn't ideal.

    Thanks for the help!

  5. #4
    500+ This must be a daytime job



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    Re: A few questions!

    Quote Originally Posted by mossy View Post
    I've been working on the panel, however I have a problem with one bit - I can't work out how to do a switch that slides out to turn out, like with the carb heat or parking brake controls in the 182. Could it be done with a slide pot? How could this be configured to act as a switch rather than as an axis? I also thought about using a slide switch and attaching that to a pull lever which would work, but then the lever would only travel about 5mm which isn't ideal.

    Thanks for the help!
    desktop Aviator makes one of these. I have opened it up to see the workings, and it appears to be a magnet mounted on a shaft, with a fixed sensor on the body of the unit. When you slide out the shaft, the magnet travels within sensing distance of the sensor, and the circuit is closed. That just requires interfacing it as a switch, not an axis.

    Alternatively, you could have a cog mounted to the shaft that actuates a microswitch.

    This works pretty much the same for a parking brake, fire extinguishers, etc.

  6. #5
    Our new friend needs to reach 10 posts to get to the next flight level
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    Re: A few questions!

    Ah that's a brilliant idea! A proximity switch from rapid is about a pound so it's not even an expensive option (as it sounded like it might be when I read it).

    Something just occurred to me that could be a problem:
    For lights, master, avionics, etc I will be using simple on / off switches from a standard electronics supplier, rather than ones that flick on then return to centre. FSX doesn't have, say, 'landing lights on' as one control and 'landing lights off' as a separate one - rather, it has 'landing lights on / off'. Will the software the comes with the joystick controller be able to turn the lights on when the switches are in the on position, and off when they are off? Or will it turn them on when the switch is in the on position, and off when they are flicked off and then back on (such as was the case with a previous joystick of mine)? If it's the latter, is there a way around this?

    Thanks once again for the help.

  7. #6
    500+ This must be a daytime job



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    Re: A few questions!

    Quote Originally Posted by mossy View Post
    Ah that's a brilliant idea! A proximity switch from rapid is about a pound so it's not even an expensive option (as it sounded like it might be when I read it).

    Something just occurred to me that could be a problem:
    For lights, master, avionics, etc I will be using simple on / off switches from a standard electronics supplier, rather than ones that flick on then return to centre. FSX doesn't have, say, 'landing lights on' as one control and 'landing lights off' as a separate one - rather, it has 'landing lights on / off'. Will the software the comes with the joystick controller be able to turn the lights on when the switches are in the on position, and off when they are off? Or will it turn them on when the switch is in the on position, and off when they are flicked off and then back on (such as was the case with a previous joystick of mine)? If it's the latter, is there a way around this?

    Thanks once again for the help.
    That will depend upon your joystick controller. Most controllers are momentary switches. You push and it activates that circuit until you release.

    It seems you are talking about using toggle switches. With a toggle, you flip it up and it is on, but if you wire that to an input on your controller that is momentary, it will continue to send that signal, and have some undesired consequences.

    I am not sure about other controllers, but I have been playing with a desktop aviator 2120.http://www.desktopaviator.com/Produc...2120/index.htm

    It generates a pulse every time the switch is opened or closed that lets you use those toggle functions, but still get to use a real switch.

    Leo Bodnar's may do the same, but I have not used them. Will defer to others here for info about those, as they seem to be the favorite card of most here.

  8. #7
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    Re: A few questions!

    How to wire your toggles:

    Use normal SPST Toggle switches (Just ON/OFF)

    Then:

    Wire 1 toggle to one joystick button input on your Leo Bodnar card.

    Then:

    Assign (e.g. Landing Lights) 'On' to Toggle Switch

    So when you switch your toggle to 'on' the signal connects the toggle to 'on' in FS.

    When you release your actual toggle to 'OFF' position then the signal is cut hence the toggle shown on FS will flick to 'OFF'.

    Simple....

    As for the parking brake, I indeed have one, its just 2 sensors about 1 inch apart from each other, and the magnet is on the shaft, the magnet just moves over the sensors to switch either on or off....so simple...do you need a drawing?

    Hope this helps....

    Alex
    GA or the Highway!

  9. #8
    Our new friend needs to reach 10 posts to get to the next flight level
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    Re: A few questions!

    Thanks once again for the helpful answer.
    Below is the 1:1 scale plan of the project, hopefully in a few weeks I will be able to upload a picture of the completed quadrant . If anyone has any suggestions of modifications or additions either on the practical or aesthetic sides of things they would be very much appreciated!



    All that remains now is to get building. Sadly, this involves learning how to solder so I may be spending a few days in hospital recovering from third degree burns. Ah well, hopefully the end product will be worth it.

  10. #9
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    Re: A few questions!

    Shame that you have just started on your Cessna 182 project as I have just given away my Cessna 182 MIP to a member on here as I am now building the Cessna 152 due to space restrictions.....your not far from me....I'm an Essex boy lol....

    I'll help you out with your project no worries!
    GA or the Highway!

  11. #10
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    Re: A few questions!

    Heres my old project, I have temporarily put my old website online for you:

    http://alexpilot.50g.com/

    Here was my first ever project a long long time ago:

    Used buttons, toggles, flaps buttons, throttle quad levers, yoke.....all in one box!

    Done it using only 1 leobodnar card it controlled the entire sim!

    Last edited by CessnaGuy; 01-07-2010 at 01:00 PM.
    GA or the Highway!

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